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3 injured in downtown Port Authority 'T' derailment

Service to the Port Authority’s light rail “T” service was back to normal for the Monday morning rush hour, but the cause of Friday night’s derailment remains under investigation.

Three people were injured when the train derailed in the downtown subway between the Gateway and Wood Street stations about 9 p.m. (In photos: Port Authority "T" derails)

“The light rail vehicle did not stop at a red signal when it was supposed to stop, and that's what we are trying to figure out now is why that happened,” said Port Authority spokesman Jim Ritchie.

According to a release from the Port Authority, the train then tried to pass through a switch before it was locked into place and derailed.

Nine people were on the train when it derailed, the Port Authority said. One person was taken to a hospital with neck and back injuries, while two others declined medical treatment and went to a hospital by private means, Channel 4 Action News’ Kelly Brennan reported.

"We were just heading back from the Gateway station. Next thing you know, there was a couple flashes of lights and the train just went off the track," said passenger Calea Rose

Shuttle buses ran between the Steel Plaza and Allegheny stations all weekend until the damaged trolley could be removed from the tracks.

"It took me, like, 45 minutes to get here today. It usually takes me 15," said Christine Cestra, who works at a North Shore restaurant.

Channel 4 Action News’ Jim Parsons checked the Port Authority’s safety records and found three derailments reported in one month in 2010 at the rail maintenance yard at South Hills Village.

In each case, “operator error” was listed as a probable cause, Parsons reported.

In a 2010 safety audit, PennDOT raised concern about Port Authority's employees working long hours.

The audit recommended Port Authority “establish and document hours of service limitations for all safety-critical personnel.”

Five years earlier, the same agency found that Port Authority had drafted an hours-of-service policy, but that “agency management was not willing to implement the policies due to cost concerns.”

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